We’re all about sharing tips to get organized, stay organized, and manage all of the tasks that bounce around our brains from day-to-day. Typically, we’d focus on peer-reviewed research or expert-backed and time-tested strategies to help you get there. Today, we’re taking a different approach.
Businesswoman, student, teacher, and the driving force behind @teachlikeagirl, Christina knows a thing or two about staying organized. She has to, after all. Successfully juggling a jam-packed schedule of classes, both as an attendant and an instructor, doesn’t leave much room for error.
Thankfully, Christina has the right mindset and skillset to balance it all—with the help of a few tools, of course. So we asked her some questions on who she is and how she does it. Below, you’ll find our Q&A with Christina and her top tips to get organized this season.
Christina @teachlikeagirl Shares Her Tips to Get Organized, the Tools That Help Her, and the Things That Bring Her Joy
Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Christina. I am a former middle school teacher and current psychology graduate student and graduate student instructor. I teach intro psych to middle schoolers and high schoolers in the summer as well.
Describe yourself in three words.
Passionate. Introvert. Driven.
What does well-being mean to you and your life?
Well-being means balance to me. It means savoring the good moments and bouncing back from the hard ones.
How do you stay organized, especially with all of your competing priorities?
I started using my Panda Planner this summer. Beyond physical planners, I also like to use Google to-do lists and Google Calendar to stay organized.
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What does staying organized mean to you personally?
I am hyper-organized (also Type A). Staying organized means feeling clear to me. With grad school, my businesses, and teaching, I have a lot of things going on at once and that requires some organization to remain calm.
What tools do you use to stay on track throughout the year?
I use my Panda Planner, Google calendar, Google to-do lists, the Notes app on my phone to keep track of ideas, and a small notebook to write down things while I am on the go.
How do you prep for the start of a new season?
I love the beginning of seasons. I always start with my goals for the new season and then backtrack from there.
How do you stay balanced as the academic year picks up?
I create a master to-do list and then spread out my work in chunks of time.
That way, instead of having a to-do oriented schedule, I have blocks of time and do whatever I can with that time! It makes me feel less pressured and more productive.
Name three things that bring you joy and how you prioritize them over the year.
- My family: I take weekends off. I don’t work. Ever. Even if that means working late during the week so I can spend time on the weekend with my family.
- My dog: I savor our morning walks.
- Writing for FUN and not for SCHOOL: I find easy ways to write like in my phone or in a small notebook so I can do that whenever I feel like it.
What’s your best productivity tip?
Start with the “‘big things” that have to get done in a period of time and go backward from there.
Also, TAKE BREAKS. I have learned the power of breaks, and it has made me much more productive [despite] working less.
And now, the most important question: If you could have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Veggie pizza! For the nutrients (maybe?) and the yum.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I am always sharing my productivity tips and love hearing yours as well! Follow me on Instagram @teachlikegirl and message me your ideas!
Your turn: What are your tips to get organized for the start of a new season? Share in the comments!
For more ways to stay on track this school year, check out our podcasts for students.
